Quote of the Day

Duncan Hunter, Republican Chair of the House Armed Services Committee:

“Maybe we should cancel every piece of Congressional business for the entire year so that the issue at Abu Ghraib can be milked until the election.”

Pardon us Duncan, but “Congressional business” being what it is, perhaps you could squeeze in one morning of serious hearings:

The week of April 26 was eventful and troubling for the nation, yet curiously brief and serene for the House of Representatives. Thirty-five U.S. servicemen were killed in Iraq. CBS aired shocking photos of Americans abusing prisoners near Baghdad. The federal debt reached an all-time high, more than $7.13 trillion.

In the House, meanwhile, members returned to Washington on Tuesday of that week for three quick, unanimous votes at nightfall. They renamed a post office in Rhode Island, honored the founder of the Lions Clubs, and supported “the goals and ideals of Financial Literacy Month.”

The next day, Wednesday, was a bit busier. After naming a Miami courthouse for a dead judge, House members debated how to extend the popular repeal of the tax code’s “marriage penalty.” The only real issue was whether to pass the Democratic or Republican version. The GOP plan prevailed, 323 to 95.